Batman vs. Superman: How Is It Going To Work?

So just in case you’ve been living under a rock this past week, San Diego dropped numerous bombshells on the comicsphere. One was the announcement that the sequel to the billion dollar hit The Avengers will be titled The Avengers: Age of Ultron! The other was a moment so amazing that those men and women who were in Hall H at that time will say years down the line when their children are born, that their birth will be the second greatest moment of their lives.

I am of course talking about the announcement from Zack Snyder that in 2015 we will finally see Superman & Batman on the same screen together. When I found out, like the rest of the world, I was speechless. Finally the World’s Finest will share the same screen together. However, after the excitement went away I kept seeing on Facebook and Twitter that many people were questioning how Warner Brothers and Snyder are going to make this work.

A lot of people are saying it’s too soon to introduce Batman into the Man of Steel/DC cinematic universe. But it’s not too soon. Batman and Superman are comic’s most endearing characters. If you know nothing about either character by now you shouldn’t be watching them to begin with.

During the announcement at Comic Con, Harry Lennix did a reading from The Dark Knight Returns stating,

I want you to remember, Clark…in all the years to come…in your most private moments…I want you to remember…my hand…at your throat…I want…you to remember…the one man who beat you

This was the quote Batman said to Superman just before he faked his own death. (whoops spoilers). But I honestly thought that despite it being an amazing quote, it was the wrong one to use. The only reason that a Batman/Superman film can be successful and help spearhead the DC cinematic universe is to focus on the alliance between Batman and Superman. During the rebooting of Star Trek, director J.J Abrams said that the only way that film would work was to focus on the relationship between Spock and Captain Kirk. Their relationship, their friendship, defines them and the characters around them. These two different people, from different worlds, different backgrounds coming together for a greater good. That doesn’t sound too dissimilar to Batman and Superman.

Let’s look at it like this; the aftermath of Man of Steel, Metropolis is destroyed. Thousands of people have died, millions of dollars of property wiped out by Zod and his army. Superman is around but isn’t fully understood or trusted. He is very raw in terms of his powers. Faora mentions this, hence why a lot of the time in the battle of Smallville, Kal-El gets his arse handed to him. Lex Luthor decides to start putting some of his own money into the reconstruction of Metropolis but along comes Bruce Wayne of Gotham City wanting to do the same thing as he is also investigating Lex Luthor and Lexcorp as Batman. Superman and Batman naturally come across each other, but they are two very different people, with different methods and ideologies yet will do anything to save people. And yes they clash and argue but there is a respect and a friendship buried deep below.

In the DC Animated film Batman/Superman: Public Enemies, Superman gets framed by Luther for the murder of the Super villain Metallo. Batman’s loyalty to Superman helps him clear his name. Later on in the film there is a scene where Superman thinks that Batman has been killed, so goes on to beat the living hell out of Lex Luther because, as he says, “You killed my best friend!”

For the Justice League to work on film, the relationship between Batman and Superman must be one of a true friendship. They don’t need to ever say it but it has to be there and for this upcoming film, it’s vital. Batman and Superman are like Kirk and Spock, like Watson and Holmes; they need each other, they bicker, they fight, they question, but they are loyal to each other and to their cause.

So fan boys and fan girls are you looking forward to the World’s Finest on screen together for the first time ever, or do you believe that it will fall to The Age of Ultron?

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About the author

Phyll Perrins

Hi, Phyll Perrins here, The Thinking Mans Fan Boy
My background is in Film Production, having worked on a few high and low budget movies, I know my way around a film set.
I'm also a massive comic book fan, ever since I was a little lad growing up in England dreaming about one day putting on that red cape, battling evil and saving the day.
I cant do that now (well at least not in the forseeable future) but I can write about it.